Abstract

IGCP 449 (2000–2004), seeking to correlate fluvial records globally, has compiled adataset of archaeological records from Pleistocene fluvial sequences. Many terrace sequences cannow be reliably dated and correlated with marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS), allowing potentiallyuseful patterns in artefact distribution to be recognised. This review, based on evidence fromnorthwest European and German sequences (Thames, Somme, Ilm, Neckar and Wipper), makeswider comparisons with rivers further east, particularly the Vltava, and with southern Europe,especially Iberia. The northwest and southern areas have early assemblages dominated by handaxes,in contrast with flake-core industries in Germany and further east. Fluvial sequences can provideframeworks for correlation, based on markers within the Palaeolithic record. In northwest Europe thefirst appearance of artefacts in terrace staircases, the earliest such marker, dates from the mid–lateCromerian Complex. Flake-core industries may have significantly preceded handaxe industries insouthern Europe. An important technological innovation—Levallois technique—occurs at theLower-Middle Palaeolithic boundary, correlated with MIS 9–8. Humans deserted northern Europeduring MIS 6, apparently returning to central Germany and northern France (Somme valley) by MIS 5ebut not reaching southern England until the appearance of Mousterian culture during MIS 4–3.